The Development of the SNO+ Experiment: Scintillator Timing, Pulse Shape Discrimination, and Sterile Neutrinos
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Authors
O'Sullivan, Erin
Date
2014-04-29
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
sterile neutrinos , scintillator physics
Alternative Title
Abstract
The SNO+ experiment is a multi-purpose neutrino detector which is under construction in the SNOLAB facility in Sudbury, Ontario. SNO+ will search for neutrinoless double beta decay, and will measure low energy solar neutrinos.
This thesis will describe three main development activities for the SNO+ experiment: the measurement of the timing parameters for the liquid scintillator cocktail, using those timing parameters to estimate the ability of SNO+ to discriminate
alpha and beta events in the detector, and a sensitivity study that examines how solar neutrino data can constrain a light sterile neutrino model.
Characterizing the timing parameters of the emission light due to charged-particle excitation in the scintillator is necessary for proper reconstruction of events in the detector. Using data obtained from a bench-top setup, the timing profile was modelled as three exponential components with distinct timing coefficients. Also investigated was the feasibility of using the timing profiles as a means to separate alpha and beta excitation events in the scintillator. The bench-top study suggested that using the peak-to-total method of analyzing the timing profiles could remove >$99.9% of alpha events while retaining >$99.9% of beta events. The timing parameters measured in the test set-up were then implemented in a Monte Carlo code which simulated the SNO+ detector conditions. The
simulation results suggested that detector effects reduce the effectiveness of discriminating between alpha and beta events using the peak-to-total method. Using a more optimal method of analyzing the timing profile differences, specifically using a Gatti filter, improved the discrimination capability back to the levels determined
in the bench-top setup.
One of the physics goals of SNO+ is the first precision measurement of the pep solar neutrino flux at the level of about 5% uncertainty. A study was performed to investigate how current solar neutrino data constrains the allowed parameters of a light 3+1 sterile neutrino model. The impact of adding a SNO+ pep solar neutrino measurement on the allowed parameters of the sterile model was then examined.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D, Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy) -- Queen's University, 2014-04-28 20:52:42.41
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